First Look: See What’s Inside the Met Gala’s “Costume Art” Exhibition

Vanity Fair art and style correspondents Nate Freeman and José Criales-Unzueta preview the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute spring exhibition "Costume Art," which inaugurates the Condé M. Nast Galleries. The exhibition arrives amid controversy over the Met Gala being sponsored by Lauren Sánchez Bezos and Jeff Bezos, leading to boycott calls and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani skipping the event. Despite this, Anna Wintour and Met director Max Hollein announced the gala raised a record $42 million. Head curator Andrew Bolton presents fashion as art, pairing garments with artworks like Warhol's Skull and Sarah Lucas's Nud Cycladic 9.

Ed Ruscha | Ed Ruscha - Reading Ed Ruscha (Hand Signed by Ed Ruscha) (2012) | Available for Sale

A hand-signed offset lithograph poster by Ed Ruscha, created for the 2012 "Reading Ruscha" exhibition at the Kunsthaus Bregenz in Austria, is available for sale. The poster features an iconic 1971 photograph of the artist by Jerry McMillan and is noted for its rarity, with Ruscha having signed fewer than 50 copies for the institution.

At the Menil Collection, Cy Twombly’s Drawing and Discovery

The Menil Collection in Houston is showcasing "The Gift of Drawing: Cy Twombly," an exhibition featuring 27 works selected from a massive donation of 121 pieces by the Cy Twombly Foundation. The show spans four decades of the artist's career, from the mid-1950s to 2005, highlighting his experimental approach to collage, painting on handmade paper, and drawing. Many of these works have never been previously exhibited in the United States, filling significant gaps in the museum's already extensive Twombly holdings.

8 Must-See Solo Gallery Shows in March

This month’s gallery circuit features a series of high-profile solo exhibitions across the United States, headlined by a museum-quality survey of Jasper Johns at Gagosian. The selection highlights diverse artistic approaches, from Johns’s seminal 1970s crosshatch paintings to Yuko Mohri’s kinetic installations at Tanya Bonakdar and Gabriel de la Mora’s material-focused conceptual works at Perrotin. Other notable shows include Christina Quarles’s new paintings at Hauser & Wirth, which explore themes of loss and resilience.

This Spring’s Must-See Contemporary Art Exhibitions in London

London's spring art season is anchored by several major institutional surveys, most notably Tracey Emin’s comprehensive exhibition "A Second Life" at Tate Modern. Other significant showcases include Hurvin Anderson’s exploration of Caribbean diaspora at Tate Britain, David Hockney’s new works at Serpentine North, and Cecily Brown’s long-awaited institutional homecoming at Serpentine South. The season also features diverse media, from Chiharu Shiota’s immersive yarn installations at the Hayward Gallery to Isaac Julien’s filmic explorations at the Cosmic House.

These Are the Exhibitions to See During Frieze Los Angeles 2026

Frieze Los Angeles 2026 has sparked a city-wide surge of artistic activity, characterized by large-scale artist-led group shows and the creative reclamation of non-traditional spaces. Key highlights include the transformation of a massive abandoned 99 Cents Only store into a chaotic exhibition featuring over 120 artists, a sprawling video art installation across six floors of a historic vaudeville theater, and major collection surveys focusing on influential women and artists of color.

In memoriam: remembering art world figures who died in 2025

This article from The Art Newspaper, published as 2026 begins, memorializes key figures from the art world who died in 2025. The list includes artist and activist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, filmmaker and artist David Lynch, conceptual artist Mel Bochner, collector and patron Guy Ullens (co-founder of Beijing's UCCA), curator Koyo Kouoh (the first African woman to curate the Venice Biennale), photographer Sebastião Salgado, broadcaster Alan Yentob, and sculptor Joel Shapiro. Each entry summarizes their career highlights and contributions.

8 Must-See Solo Gallery Shows in December

Galerie magazine has curated a list of eight must-see solo gallery shows across the United States for December, highlighting exhibitions from New York to Los Angeles. Featured artists include Alex Da Corte, whose show at Matthew Marks Gallery presents 11 new sculptures in a narrative setting, including life-size self-portraits as the Pink Panther and Popeye; and Sylvia Snowden, whose exhibition "On the Verge" at White Cube in New York showcases 20 paintings from her career, exploring human struggles and joys through textured impasto works. Other notable shows include Marilyn Minter's portraits of celebrities at Regen Projects in Los Angeles.

After 14 years with Pace, Yoshitomo Nara's work now represented by David Zwirner

Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara, renowned for his kawaii-inspired paintings and sculptures, has switched gallery representation from Pace Gallery to David Zwirner after 14 years. David Zwirner, which has locations in New York, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, and Paris, will hold its first solo exhibition with Nara at an unspecified future date in New York. Nara will continue to work with his international agent, Equivalence Art Agency, and Pace Gallery will maintain a relationship with the artist. Nara's career includes major solo shows at institutions like the Albertina Modern in Vienna, the Hayward Gallery in London, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

‘I’m not trying to impress anyone with what I buy’: how Catherine Walsh went from cosmetics queen to art collector

Catherine Walsh, a former cosmetics executive at Estée Lauder and Revlon who pioneered celebrity fragrances at Coty, recounts her journey from buying her first Harry Callahan photograph at age 22 to building a minimalist art collection. She commissioned architect John Pawson to design a house in Telluride, Colorado, after a lecture, and has since acquired works by Gerhard Richter, Donald Judd, Jenny Holzer, Josef Albers, and a 17th-century Dutch portrait, among others. Walsh now lives in a London apartment near the Victoria & Albert Museum, where she displays her carefully curated collection with minimal furniture.

What does winning an arts prize really mean?

The article examines the history and impact of major art prizes, including the Turner Prize (established 1984), the John Moores Painting Prize (nearly 70 years old), and the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize (annual award). It traces the origins of art prizes back to 19th-century Paris salons and highlights how these awards provide cash, recognition, and career acceleration for artists. Specific examples include Rose Wylie, who won the John Moores Prize at age 80 and later joined David Zwirner and secured a Royal Academy solo show, and Samuel Ross, who used his Hublot Design Prize winnings to start his own company.

A brush with… Christopher Wool—podcast

This episode of "A brush with…" podcast features an in-depth conversation with artist Christopher Wool, who discusses his career spanning painting, photography, and sculpture. Wool reflects on early influences including the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Dan Flavin, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Dieter Roth, and Toni Morrison's novel *The Bluest Eye*, which inspired one of his text paintings. He also explains the title of his recent exhibition "See Stop Run" and how jazz has consistently inspired his work. The podcast is sponsored by Bloomberg Connects, which highlights museums that have shown Wool's work, including the Guggenheim, MoCA Los Angeles, and SFMOMA.

Who Are the 10 Top-Selling Living American Artists?

Artnet's Auction Price Database reveals the top 10 living American artists by auction sales value in 2024, with the U.S. art market generating $4.3 billion. The list includes Cindy Sherman ($180.9 million total sales, record $6.8 million for Untitled Film Stills), Mark Bradford ($226.6 million, record $12 million for Helter Skelter I), and Mark Grotjahn ($241 million, record $16.8 million for Untitled (S III Released to France Face 43.14)). Sherman is the only woman and photographer on the list; Bradford is the only African American and represented the U.S. at the 2017 Venice Biennale; Grotjahn is a California-based abstract painter.

Victoria Miro: ‘Art should open your eyes to something you don’t know’

Victoria Miro, the influential London art dealer, reflects on her 40-year career as her eponymous gallery celebrates its anniversary. In a rare interview, she discusses her humble beginnings—displaying art in her husband's office window and hosting pop-ups—and her rise to prominence representing acclaimed artists such as Chris Ofili, Isaac Julien, Do Ho Suh, and Chantal Joffe. The gallery's birthday exhibition, "Victoria Miro: 40 Years," features works by its roster, including pieces by Kudzanai-Violet Hwami, Stan Douglas, and Grayson Perry.

A brush with… Rudolf Stingel — podcast

This podcast episode features an in-depth conversation with artist Rudolf Stingel, who discusses his irreverent approach to painting, his influences including Pablo Picasso and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, and his friendships with artists like Urs Fischer and Maurizio Cattelan. Stingel reflects on his career from the 1980s onward, his exploration of painting across abstraction and photorealism, and his expansion into sculpture and installation. The episode also covers his current exhibitions: 'Vineyard Paintings' at Gagosian in London and his inclusion in 'Les yeux dans les yeux' at the Couvent des Jacobins in Rennes.

Gagosian's spring show skips and rhymes through De Kooning's career

Gagosian Gallery in New York has opened "Willem de Kooning: Endless Painting," a non-chronological exhibition curated by Cecilia Alemani that spans the artist's career from 1944 to 1986. The show features institutional loans from MoMA and the Guggenheim, includes two sculptures—including the colossal bronze "Standing Figure" displayed indoors for the first time in nearly 30 years—and runs through June 14. A panel with artists John Currin and Dana Schutz will explore de Kooning's influence on May 15.

9 Must-See Shows at Paris Gallery Weekend 2025

Paris Gallery Weekend 2025 takes place May 23–25 across 74 galleries in the capital, featuring vernissages, performances, exhibition walkthroughs, and artist talks. Now in its second decade, the event was founded to spotlight Paris’s contemporary art scene and offers a counterpoint to the art fair circuit. Highlights include Sophie Calle’s "SÉANCE DE RATTRAPAGE" at Perrotin, where she revisits unfinished projects from her 2023 Picasso Museum exhibition, and major institutional shows like the David Hockney retrospective at Fondation Louis Vuitton and "Corps et âmes" at Bourse de Commerce. The weekend also includes a new Agnès Varda exhibition at Musée Carnavalet linking her photography to her Montparnasse atelier.

Huge Paris exhibition reveals David Hockney’s love of Van Gogh

A major exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, titled "David Hockney 25," showcases 400 works by the British artist, with a focus on the past 25 years of his career. The show highlights Hockney’s deep admiration for Vincent van Gogh, featuring a section called "The Great Wall" that includes 29 Van Gogh reproductions alongside works by other artists. Key pieces on display include Hockney’s portrait of his partner Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima, inspired by Van Gogh’s "Sorrowing Old Man," and iPad drawings echoing Van Gogh’s sunflower still lifes. The exhibition runs until 31 August.

Tate announces 2026 Turner Prize shortlist.

Tate Britain has announced the shortlist for the 2026 Turner Prize, featuring artists Simeon Barclay, Kira Freije, Marguerite Humeau, and Tanoa Sasraku. Each shortlisted artist receives £10,000 ($13,500), and their work will be exhibited at Teesside University’s Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA) in North England from September 26, 2026 to March 29, 2027. The winner, to be announced at an awards ceremony at MIMA on December 10, 2026, will receive £25,000 ($33,760).

Artist and Filmmaker Steve McQueen Wins $172,000 Erasmus Prize

British artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen has been awarded the 2024 Erasmus Prize by the Dutch Praemium Erasmianum Foundation. The prize includes a cash award of 150,000 euros (approximately $172,000) and a specially designed booklet featuring the script of the 16th-century scholar Desiderius Erasmus.

Jordan Wolfson’s Newest Provocation Is a Creepy Prada Ad Campaign

Artist Jordan Wolfson has directed a new advertising campaign for Prada's Spring/Summer 2026 collection. The campaign, titled "I, I, I, I AM… PRADA," features unsettling, computer-generated birds and a bird-man hybrid alongside models including actors Carey Mulligan, Nicholas Hoult, Damson Idris, and Hunter Schafer, continuing Wolfson's signature style of disturbing digital avatars.

Matisse, 1941-1954 review – hit after glorious hit in a show of life-enhancing genius

A major exhibition at the Centre Pompidou and the Grand Palais focuses on the final, revolutionary period of Henri Matisse's career, from 1941 to 1954. The show charts his artistic reinvention following a life-threatening surgery, beginning with obsessive, reworked paintings from his Nice studio during the war and culminating in the radiant, large-scale cut-outs for which he is widely celebrated.

Desmond Morris, zoologist, presenter and surrealist painter, 1928–2026

Desmond Morris, the zoologist, author, television presenter, and surrealist painter, has died at the age of 98. He was best known for his 1967 book *The Naked Ape* and the television program *Zoo Time*, but maintained a parallel, influential career in the visual arts as a painter and curator.

Lynda Roscoe Hartigan Named Director of Smithsonian American Art Museum

Lynda Roscoe Hartigan has been appointed as the new director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) in Washington, DC, effective September 8. She returns to SAAM, where she began her career and later served as chief curator, from her current position as executive director and CEO of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. She succeeds acting director Jane Carpenter-Rock, who will remain as deputy director.

art what to see in new york galleries right now

This week's Critic's Table column highlights three New York gallery and museum shows. Painter Sam McKinniss praises Helene Schjerfbeck's first major U.S. institutional survey, "Seeing Silence: The Paintings of Helene Schjerfbeck," at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, calling the Finnish modernist more fascinating than Edvard Munch. Critic Johanna Fateman argues that Joan Semmel's career-spanning exhibition "In the Flesh" at the Jewish Museum proves her recent icon status is well-deserved and long overdue. Artist Ajay Kurian reviews Marguerite Humeau's mythic ecosystems at White Cube.

‘America’s Mona Lisa’: how chance, genius and cheap paint made the masterpiece Whistler’s Mother

James Abbott McNeill Whistler's iconic painting of his mother, Anna, known as 'Whistler’s Mother' or 'Arrangement in Grey and Black No 1', is returning to London for the first time in nearly two generations as part of a Tate Britain exhibition. The article recounts how the portrait was painted in 1871 in Whistler's Chelsea studio during a low point in his career, using cheap paint and a used canvas after a young sitter canceled. The author, who restored the painting for the Musée d'Orsay, details the work's accidental genesis, Whistler's radical minimalist aesthetic, and the initial critical confusion it caused.

Horst Antes at 90: Major Shows Celebrate German New Figuration Pioneer

German artist Horst Antes, born in 1936, is being celebrated with two major exhibitions timed to his 90th birthday. Galerie Koch in Hannover presents a solo show titled “Horst Antes: Exhibition Marking the Artist’s 90th Birthday,” while the Sprengel Museum Hannover concurrently mounts “A Collection,” featuring roughly 80 works from its holdings. The shows highlight Antes’s pioneering role in New Figuration, particularly his iconic “Kopffüßler” (Head-Footer) character, which appears across paintings, sculptures, and works on paper from 1969 to 2014. The Galerie Koch exhibition also foregrounds his “House Pictures,” which explore architecture through non-hierarchical color planes and ambiguous perspective.

minor injuries michael joo sculpture damaged space zeroone

A large-scale sculpture by Korean American artist Michael Joo collapsed during the opening reception of his solo exhibition at Space ZeroOne in Tribeca, New York. The artwork, titled 'Saltiness of Greatness' (1992) and composed of compressed salt blocks, reportedly fell after being disturbed by a visitor, resulting in minor injuries to four attendees including a curator, a gallerist, and a foundation board member. The gallery, operated by the Hanwha Foundation of Culture, has temporarily closed to review safety procedures following the incident.

Old Masters Records: Gentileschi, Michelangelo, Rembrandt

old masters records gentileschi michelangelo rembrandt

Old Masters Week in New York saw a resurgence in the sector, highlighted by the Italian Ministry of Culture's $14.9 million private acquisition of a rare two-sided panel by Antonello da Messina from Sotheby’s. The week featured high-profile sales at both Sotheby’s and Christie’s, resulting in new auction records for major figures including Artemisia Gentileschi and Michelangelo, as well as a record price for a Rembrandt drawing. The success was attributed to a high level of museum participation and more realistic pricing strategies compared to previous seasons.

hazel knapp

Hazel Knapp, a self-taught artist with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, painted Vermont landscapes from her wheelchair between the 1930s and 1940s, often with her mother Elsie by her side describing the terrain. Knapp exhibited at the 1939 Museum of Modern Art show alongside Grandma Moses and Morris Hirshfield, was profiled in Sidney Janis's book *They Taught Themselves*, and sold ten paintings to Gertrude Stein, who planned an unrealized Paris exhibition. Despite this promising start, Knapp fell into obscurity after her mother's death.